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The United Nations said on Friday that nearly all of the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip will spend the winter without adequate shelter, as the Palestinian enclave enters a fourth year under strict Israeli restrictions related to the war.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that about 1.8 million people in the strip "are facing a fourth winter without adequate protection from rain, floods, and cold."
The organization called for international funding for humanitarian aid, and for Israel to ease "restrictions" imposed on the entry of essential supplies.
The humanitarian situation in the strip remains catastrophic despite a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect last October.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians continue to live in tents or temporary shelters.
The IOM stated that more than half of the tents and temporary shelters are in poor condition and need replacement.
It added that "with few alternatives available, many families are living in war-damaged buildings that pose a major threat to their lives."
The organization highlighted the deaths of 21 people, including 12 children, due to the collapse of a six-story building damaged during the war in Gaza City last month.
The organization's Director General, Amy Pope, said: "Shelter materials must be brought in quickly, regularly, and in the required quantities."
The organization warned that the El Niño weather phenomenon could increase rainfall in Gaza this winter, which "could further weaken unsafe buildings, while severely damaged drainage networks leave residents vulnerable to flooding."
According to Pope, currently available shelter supplies within humanitarian aid will meet only 17% of "Gaza's identified winter needs."
The organization added that large numbers of tents and shelter supply kits, in addition to timber, tools, and other materials, are present outside the Palestinian Strip and are being barred from entering it.
It stated that "about 8,600 emergency shelter kits belonging to the IOM are pre-positioned outside Gaza and ready for delivery, but Israeli authorities continue to refuse their entry through the crossings."
The World Health Organization warned in September that Gaza faces a new health crisis with the onset of the rainy season, which increases the risks of mosquitoes and the spread of diseases.
Israel faces growing international criticism regarding the situation in Gaza and the restriction of humanitarian aid, but it states that it blocks the entry of materials that could be used for military purposes, and accuses Hamas of planning new attacks.
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